The Highwind Influence
by TheDonutMistress
Summary: Tifa ponders, as well as witnesses the aftereffects of leaving Marlene in Cid's care for a day. The rating is for language. This does involve Cid, after all.


_Just a pointless little giftfic for Mazzie May, inspired by something I did as a kid, as a result of growing up in the same house as my very foul-mouthed uncle. Yeah, I know Cid and Tifa may or may not live close enough to each other for this to work, but whatever. _

_Post-game, let's say. (That's why I've made Marlene five, and not four.) As a last resort, Tifa is forced to leave Marlene in Cid's care... it's just one afternoon, though. How much harm can come from that...? _

_As always, I love reviews. (Preferably nice ones that blow lots of smoke up my ass, but a review is a review, so gimme feedback, be it positive, negative or somewhere in between. Just know that if it's negative, I'll spend the next week or two plotting your demise. Toodles.)_

**_I'm not sure if it matters, but this was written before Advent Children came out. Right around the time it was pirated, actually. So yeah... I hadn't seen the movie yet. _**

_I don't own any of the Final Fantasy VII characters or locations or anything else._

* * *

"How was your day, Marlene?" Tifa asked, somewhere between cheery and cautious. Determined to sound upbeat for Marlene's sake, and cautious, because, well, she had left the kid with _Cid _for the better part of the day. He really had been her last hope. Not to say she didn't care for the man - she respected him, and enjoyed his company - but leaving a five year old in his care wasn't something she wanted to do.

Marlene smiled. "We had fun."

Tifa let out a surprised little, "Oh?"

Marlene nodded, enthusiastically. "We drew pictures, and drank lots of tea, and I got to help make an airplane - a _real _airplane!"

Tifa chuckled a little. It was sweet of Cid to let Marlene think she was helping him with his newest project: a small biplane he'd named 'Lady Luck.' "I'm glad you had fun with your Uncle Cid," she commented.

"Huh uh!" Marlene shouted. "'I'll whoop the livin' daylights outta you if you call me _uncle_!'"

Tifa couldn't help but laugh at the little girl. It was both amusing and alarming that she impersonated him so well. "I'm glad you had fun, but..."

Marlene gave Tifa a curious look, hanging onto her every word.

"But... I have an idea. Why don't we keep this between just you, me, and Cid?"

"You mean we can't tell Papa?"

Tifa nodded. "It'll be our secret. A special secret between the three of us."

Her suspicious attitude was lost on Marlene, who wholeheartedly agreed. "Okay!"

"All right, now you go and have a seat and I'll be right there," Tifa instructed Marlene, pointing her in the direction of the back yard.

Marlene bounced out the back door, and Tifa watched her through the kitchen window, as the little girl unfolded a cheap cloth lawn chair twice her size and plopped down on it.

Tifa heaved a sigh of relief, and resumed her chores. Barret would never be the wiser. He'd never know that she left his little girl, his pride and joy, his _world,_ in the care of the foul-mouthed, smoking, drinking, devil-may-care pilot. No, Barret would never know...

"Fucking chair!"

Tifa's blood ran ice cold as she very slowly faced the window and peered outside to see Marlene wrapped inside the lawn chair, as it had folded up on her little body. The girl looked like she was being devoured by the thing. Tifa could make out a sandaled foot, a little hand, and the tip of one of Marlene's pigtails; the rest of her was obscured by the pastel striped cloth and metal frame of the chair. Her shock subsided just enough for her to realize that Marlene probably needed a hand freeing herself from the seemingly carnivorous piece of lawn furniture. She swiftly made her way out the back door and to Marlene, and sprung the chair open, scooping her up a minute later.

"Are you okay?"

Marlene nodded. She had a few red marks here and there, but there didn't seem to be any serious damage.

"Good," Tifa whispered, hugging Marlene. "Now, I never want to hear you say that word again, okay?"

"Okay," Marlene agreed.

"Good." _Disaster averted,_ Tifa thought to herself, as she put Marlene down. "How about I get us something to drink?"

"Tea!" Marlene chirped.

Tifa nodded. That, she could deal with. A newly acquired taste for tea, that was perfectly fine. Barret let his daughter drink far too much soda anyway. Tea would be good for her. It would teach her manners and refinement. It was classy and it would make her feel grown up. Back in the kitchen and digging through the cupboards and cabinets for some kind of tea, Tifa allowed herself a moment to think on all of that; maybe having Cid watch Marlene hadn't been such a terrible idea after all.

"Hurry up with my tea, woman! I ain't got all goddamn day!"

Then again, maybe it had been.

* * *

_Alright, I'm know there are tons of fics here revolving around Cid's bad mouth, and I'm sure there are even some involving Marlene. I didn't intend to copy anyone, and I haven't read any similar works here, so any and all similarities are coincidental. Hope you enjoyed._


End file.
